BJP set to take advantage of 'cracks' in MVA partners, VBA’s 'Ekla Cholo' move

Mumbai: The BJP in Maharashtra is all set to cash in on the cracks that have surfaced among the Maha Vikas Aghadi partners, and the political situation arising after the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) announced to go solo by fielding seven candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

BJP insiders said the 'Tu Tu Main Main' among the MVA partners and VBA’s move to join hands with pro-Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil is a blessing in disguise to achieve its 'Mission 45-plus seats' target in the state.

Apart from riding on the Narendra Modi wave and the 'Modi Ki Guarantee' plank, the BJP hopes to benefit from the division of votes among the MVA partners.

The party looks to have the last laugh over the political developments unfolding in the state, especially after differences surfaced between the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) and also due to VBA’s 'Ekla Cholo' move.

More importantly, the BJP expects to gain political mileage with VBA’s move to field its nominees in Bhandara-Gondiya, Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Wardha, and Yavatmal-Washim, where the Congress is the main opponent.

The Congress, which continues to be a divided house, is pulling out its resources and mobilising the party cadres to fight against the BJP in the eight seats in the Vidarbha region. However, VBA’s move is expected to hamper Congress' plans.

The Vidarbha region had been a Congress bastion, but over the years, it has lost its grip and is now struggling to stay relevant there.

On the other hand, the BJP has systematically increased its presence and consolidated its position in the Vidarbha region by not just winning Lok Sabha and Assembly elections since 2014, but also increasing its tally in the local bodies. The party expects to gain from the VBA’s decision to contest elections in the Vidarbha region.

Also, the Shiv Sena (UBT) announcing its nominees in Sangli (which was demanded by the Congress) and four seats in Mumbai has not gone down well with the grand old party.

Congress leaders Balasaheb Thorat and Vijay Wadettiwar even criticised Uddhav Thackeray for 'breach of alliance dharma'. Ex-MP and senior Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam not only lashed out at Thackeray, but also the party leadership for its 'total surrender' to Shiv Sena (UBT).

Nirupam has also threatened to take an 'extreme step' if the party leadership fails to take corrective measures.

Claiming that many people have walked out of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is projected by the BJP as the 'Chanakya' of Maharashtra politics, said, "Although I do not want to comment on what is happening in the MVA, one thing is clear that all is not well there."

Fadnavis also targeted Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, saying the Congress will have to get used to his style of functioning.

"We had experienced it when we were together," he said.

Fadnavis' cryptic remarks have dropped a hint that the BJP, along with the other MahaYuti partners, will reach out to the voters by exposing the MVA’s 'failure' to stitch a seat-sharing arrangement.

The BJP will go the whole hog with its Viksit Bharat 2047 resolution, and to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister for the third time.

Meanwhile, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar took a dig at Thackeray, claiming that the people of Maharashtra will soon realise that the party is nothing less than a gasbag full of arrogance, considering the way it is behaving with the Congress and its partners in the INDIA bloc.

Shelar's remarks also show that the BJP is determined to dent Thackeray’s sympathy card and lure the traditional Shiv Sainiks and Marathi Manoos in the six constituencies in Mumbai.

As campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls gathers momentum, the BJP and its allies propose to step up their attacks against Thackeray and other INDIA bloc partners by taking advantage of the rifts while projecting the MahaYuti’s show of unity.